TD merger pays off

Article Excerpt

TD BANK $83.39 (Toronto symbol TD; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $152.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Yield: 3.8%; www.td.com) is a buy. The bank merged its 43%-owned U.S. online brokerage firm TD Ameritrade Holding with rival Charles Schwab (New York symbol SCHW) in October 2020. TD now owns 13.44% of the combined firm and controls 9.9% of its votes. Schwab investors own about 69%, with other TD Ameritrade investors holding the remaining 18%. TD recorded a $2.3 billion gain on the transaction. Its stake is also now worth $17.2 billion U.S. The bank expects Schwab will contribute $170 million (Canadian) to its earnings before unusual items for the 2021 third quarter, ending July 31, 2021. To put that in context, TD earned $3.71 billion, or $2.04 a share, in the quarter ended April 30, 2021. TD Bank is a buy. buy…